The Other Half
by Daughter of Lestrange
Summary: Aro has been curious about half-vampires since he met Renesmee. How far would he actually go to find one of his own? When a hybrid arrives in Forks with the answer, it shocks everyone.


**CHAPTER 1**

**A LITTLE EXPERIEMENT**

She was running for her life – what was left of it. The dark rain of Washington fell from her eyes, like the tears she was trying to hold back. If only she could make it to the Cullens' territory of Forks. She knew she would be safe there.

She couldn't be certain how far behind her her pursuers were. Volterra had been the biggest feat. The subterranean dungeon, the guard, her own heartbeat, the fact that she had never seen daylight; so many odds had been stacked against her. In fact, if it hadn't been for Jeremy... but she couldn't afford to think of him now. She had to make sure that his sacrifice wouldn't be in vain.

Jeremy had gotten her out of Volterra. It had been a long and rather round-about journey to Washington. She'd gone north in attempt to throw them off, as she thought they'd assume she'd head to through Portugal to the United Kingdom. She went through Austria to Poland, then up to Sweden, immediately into Norway and hopped on a tiny plane to Iceland. From there, she'd taken a fishing boat to Greenland, then stowed herself in the cargo hold of a ship bound for Quebec, Canada.

That had been another narrow escape. At the port, they'd been held up by "customs" who wanted to search the crates. It was lucky for her that Jeremy had thought to pose as a cabin boy. He was the one who had alerted her to the fact that the customs officers were comprised of Volturi guard. Together, she and Jeremy had busted out one of the portholes and she jumped into the Hudson Bay. She'd clung to the nets underneath a little trawler, who unknowingly toted her to Ontario. She immediately took a tourist helicopter to the border of Manitoba. She hadn't seen Jeremy since then.

She'd gone through Manitoba and Saskatchewan on her own two legs. She narrowly avoided another foot patrol in Edmonton. It had spooked her enough that she crammed herself into an unsuspecting traveler's trunk and was flown to Port Angeles. She wished she could've complained about the rough treatment she received in the baggage area, but she knew she'd caused enough trouble when they'd heard her the trunk shout "ouch". It was another stroke of luck that she was faster than the human eye and was out of the case before they could catch her.

Before her escape, she'd snatched a very flamboyant track suit, a straw hat, a pair of sunglasses, an overlarge beach bag and a magazine. No doubt the guard would be looking for someone trying to lay low and blend in, not a tourist determined to make a statement. She took two free oranges from a cafe and put them in her bag. She passed a woman who had a spray bronzer and lifted it from her bag, along with a neck pillow. She went to the bathroom and put her new self together. The oranges went in her bra. The pillow went over her stomach. The bronzer was sprayed until she appeared Hispanic, instead of pasty white. She found a rubber band and pulled her hair up into a pony tail, then hid it under the hat. She finally stepped out of the restroom and made her way toward the front of the airport. When she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she didn't recognize her own reflection for a few seconds. A few seconds was all she needed. If she didn't know herself, surely the Volturi wouldn't either.

There was a mess of people outside. She picked one of the many taxis and hopped inside. The only reason she may have looked obscure was that she didn't have any luggage.

"Where to, miss?" He asked. His tone was friendly, though slightly bored.

"Forks, please," she said softly.

There were definitely guards posted here, each listening for the word 'Forks'. She was fairly sure that they couldn't have heard her. Especially if her disguise had worked and they weren't paying attention to her in the first place. The taxi took off. He was slower than she would've liked. She didn't relax, even when they got out of the city.

The highway was different from any road she'd seen before. The scenery was beautiful, all mountains and forest, though much of it was hidden by rain and blankets of fog. That made her even more nervous. Anything could be in the trees. The strongest guard presence would be around Forks, she knew, but they could be watching from any place they went by.

"How long does it take to get there?" She asked.

"Just over an hour," the driver replied. "I can make it less. Ain't many locals who are driving in this unless they have to!"

She watched the trees whizzing by. The occasional billboard cropped up, breaking up the monotony with an equally tiring advertisement. The only thing of interest was the announcement for the state fair. She wanted to smile but it hurt her heart. Her favorite stories had been from those select few who had seen what they'd called The Above. The stories of circuses, endless food, games and rides that defied gravity gave her shivery thrills. She'd like to see what they were like in America, yet who knew if she would be alive next week?

Her driver was silent for the most part, occasionally making a comment through his CB radio, or humming along to a song that was playing on some local station. He seemed like a good man and she was sorry for bringing him into danger. She noted every single mile marker that posted how far they had yet to travel. The fog became denser the farther they went. It didn't seem to phase him one bit. He explained that they were very close to the ocean and it was a frequent presence that they dealt with. He added that the beach in La Push was a great tourist spot.

"Keep you eyes open though. There've been legends about giant wolves," he chuckled. " A few people have have taken photographs on them, but personally I think it's one of those perspective tricks, myself. I could believe one wolf might get big out here, but a whole pack of them? What exactly are they going to eat? Of course, I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me wonder. All I'm saying is that for these people who truly believe it, it's pretty stupid of them to sit out in the woods trying to see one. Then again, we get a bunch of nuts who think they've seen Bigfoot too. Maybe they're all seeing the same creature. Ah, well, what are you gonna do? Small town, people need something to keep themselves going, I guess."

They arrived in a town called Beaver. They rode through the town which seemed impossibly small. On the other side was a sign welcoming visitors to the town. Underneath it was a much smaller one with a little arrow pointing south. It read FORKS – 2 MILES. So close. She nearly felt relief when the taxi stopped. Through the fog, she could just make out flashing yellow lights and a line of cars. Bright orange barricades were blocking one lane and funneling all of the cars through an entry point.

"What now?" The driver groused. He got onto his CB, asking if anyone knew.

"It's the police," came a crackly voice. "Something about looking for a dangerous person who was headed to Forks."

She froze and squinted out of the windshield. A policeman waved a car on. He was an extremely convincing officer - as much as she was convincing tourist. The uniform might belong to some hired official but the face belonged to a Volturi guard called Demitri. She began shedding her disguise. It didn't matter to her if she arrived in her underwear, as long as she arrived living.

"What are you doing?" The driver asked.

"Leaving," she said. "Thank you so much for the ride. I hope this is enough."

She produced five one hundred dollar bills. She'd never needed money before in her life and she was completely in the dark on its worth. Jeremy had known. He'd said that this would get them anything they'd need human currency for. She had to trust that he was correct. She set them on the passenger seat of the taxi, then bolted into the woods.

"Carlisle!" Alice shouted suddenly. She blinked rapidly, coming out of her vision and back to reality.

"What is it, Alice?" He frowned when he saw the look on her face. "You're worried. What happened?"

"I saw a girl. A vampire. Possibly a newborn? She's heading our way and she's terrified. The Volturi are right behind her – the guard. There are four of them."

"We have never harbored criminals. I'm afraid that others have misunderstood our stand against Aro."

"No, I – I don't think that's it," Alice replied quickly. "She hasn't broken a law. I don't know why but I'm getting the sense that she _is_ one of them. Of sorts? I can't – I'm very confused."

Jasper came to her side, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. Her siblings and Esme had filtered into the room out of curiosity. Esme put a hand on Alice's shoulder. Her niece, Renesmee, muted the television. She turned around, kneeling on the couch, her little hands clasped on the top of it. Even she looked concerned.

"Can you hear her thoughts, Edward?"

Edward became very still and his brow furrowed in concentration. "Faintly. She's focused on getting here. She has flashes of what it would be to go back. Darkness. Pain. Sadness. Fear. She doesn't want to die. She's young. She wants..." He paused and looked at his daughter.

"She wants Nessie?" Esme asked.

He shook his head slowly. "She wants to meet her, but I think... how very strange. I think she wants to _be_ her."

"Why?" Nessie said, absently sucking on the chain of her necklace.

"I'm not sure, love," Edward sighed. "She seems to have been promised a better life here."

"Oh. Okay," she said hesitantly. "But... she can't have my room, right, Daddy? Or my pink shoes Aunt Alice gave me? And, I don't want to sound selfish, but maybe can she not pet Jake?"

Edward laughed. "Of course she can't have your room! She can get her own clothes, as well. I don't know about Jacob though. I think that's between you two. I can't see the harm in only letting her pet him. I doubt if he'll take much interest in her."

"I think we can discuss these things later," Carlisle said gently. "How close is she Alice?"

"She's crossed the Sol Duc River. She's very fast. She's just gone over Fossil Creek."

"Right. Emmett, Jasper, let's get on the other side of the river and meet her halfway. Alice, I'd like you to stay by me. Edward, Bella, Rosalie, you hold it down here."

"Hey! What about me, grandpa? What can I do?"

Carlisle smiled and went to kiss his granddaughter's forehead. "You mind your grandmother and stay safe. I don't want you getting involved quite yet."

Nessie pouted while the others took off. Esme hugged her.

"He doesn't like to get me involved either," she laughed. "I know it's hard. It's only because he loves us so and doesn't want to see us hurt. Now then, how about we play cards?"

While Nessie scurried to the game closet, Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper were running toward the Calawah river. They cleared it easily and fanned out on the other side. They readied themselves, staying still and listening for any disturbance to the silence.

"She's headed straight to you, Emmett," Alice said.

He nodded. "What's the plan?"

"I would grab her waist, get over the river, then throw her as far as you can," Jasper suggested. "Not with the intention of hurting her, you understand. The Volturi know this is our territory. Once she crosses that bridge, she's untouchable."

"They shouldn't even be this far in," Carlisle said. "They have no respect anymore."

In the next minute, fast footfalls rushed toward them. A slight figure burst through the tree line. A young girl skidded to a stop. The terror on her face was painful to see. She looked at the four Cullens, weighing her options.

"It's alright," Carlisle said quickly. "You're safe here! We're the Cullens. We're here to help you!"

For a second, she looked doubtful. She gave them a second glance and decided they were telling the truth. They were dressed very differently from the guard and their entire demeanor was different.

"Go to Emmett!" Carlisle pointed to his burly son, who was now crouched down and ready to run.

Two hooded figures came out of the trees. She didn't need to be encouraged any more. She ran full pelt to Emmett who grabbed her up and took off. He sailed over the river and continued toward their yard and full speed. He briefly noticed how light she was. Should she have weighed so little? It was like carrying a human. Emmett's eyes were on the house. He was entirely focused on reaching that goal in a sort of tunnel vision.

The next thing he saw was the sky and the grass, hurtling by. One of the guard swooped in from the side, tackling him. There was a pained cry as he dropped the girl. Emmett came out of the log roll and immediately sprang to his feet. He didn't recognize this guard, but they were unmistakably Volturi. He growled and hissed then lurched forward without warning. The guard was too slow and easily pinned.

"Run!" Emmett shouted to the girl.

She did her best. She got up, took a single step, then fell down, screaming in pain. Another guard,Santiago, rushed in from their left and grabbed her up. Emmett ripped the first guard's head from his shoulders and threw it as far as he could. He turned to face the girl and her captor. The other Cullens were rapidly converging on them. Sensing the danger, Santiago smirked at Emmett.

"Addio, nostro poca sperimentare,"he said softly.

"_NO_!"

Emmett's plea didn't matter. Santiago sliced her throat open with his thumbnail and pushed her forward. Blood spattered across Emmett's face. Santiago whirled around and ran back through the forest, Jasper close on his heels. The girl put a hand to her neck and looked straight at Emmett in shock. Her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head and she slumped down to her knees. Emmett was there in the next second, holding her up.

"No, no, no, come on, stay with me," he soothed. He tore a large strip of fabric from the front of his shirt and placed it on her neck.

"What did he do?" Carlisle asked.

"He cut her throat."

Carlisle moved the improvised bandage aside. Blood poured from the gash.

"How is this happening?" Emmett asked. "I thought she was a vampire."

"I think she is. Partly. She's like Nessie. Look at her blood; it's extremely thick. It doesn't have the same scent as human blood, either. You can smell the venom."

Alice and Edward arrived at Carlisle's side, both tense and alert.

"Will she be ok?" Alice asked. "I'm seeing so much that I might as well not be seeing anything at all."

"Her mind has gone blank," Edward added. "That isn't uncommon for an unconscious person, but usually something stirs to life again. I only see darkness."

"Let's get her into the house. The medical room, please Emmett, not my office," Carlisle said.

"Right." He gently lifted the girl, making sure to keep pressing the bandage into her neck. He muttered to her as he raced inside and rushed her up the stairs. "Geez, one girl pops out a baby in the study and suddenly we've got a _medic _room. How fancy of us."

He took her to the former study as fast as he could and waited for Carlisle. The doctor, Edward and Rosalie weren't far behind. Carlisle got all of his medical tools ready, put his lab coat on and gloved up. Edward spread clean sheets out over the already padded operating table. He positioned a light over the head of the table where Carlisle would need it most. He, too, put rubber gloves on. Rosalie went to Emmett and pulled the girl's hair to one side, tying it there. She ripped the girl's shirt down the back. She shook out a hospital gown and removed the shirt before tying the gown around her.

Emmett bit his lip. He desperately wanted to make a joke about Rosalie undressing too, but her face was all business and he didn't enjoy sleeping on the couch.

"I'll take her," she said. "I'd get cleaned up if I were you, babe. You've got blood all over you."

Rosalie gingerly took the girl out of Emmett's arms and placed her on the table. Emmett left and she followed him after confirming that Carlisle would be fine with only Edward as an assistant. Carlisle hovered the light directly over the wound on the girl's neck and carefully pulled the cloth away. He looked at it carefully, his vampire eyes seeing far more than any human doctor ever could.

"You are one lucky little squirt," he told her, despite knowing that she couldn't hear him. "Her carotid has a puncture no bigger than the eye of a needle. Hand me the Vetigel, please?"

Edward handed Carlisle a syringe of a thick, yellow gel. Carlisle carefully placed a tiny needle into the gaping hole in her neck, depressed the plunger and waited. He smiled.

"That's the worst of it. May I have the saline?"

He gave the rest of the gash a gentle flushing out. Edward took the needle off of the first syringe and made a neat line of gel, sealing the wound and ending the rest of the bleeding. Carlisle quickly stitched it closed and rinsed the remaining blood from her neck and chest. They let her rest as they cleaned up. After everything had been sanitized, thrown away or burned, Edward gathered the sheets around the table. Carlisle helped him transfer her to a more comfortable hospital bed.

"She seems stable for now," Carlisle said, more to himself than to Edward. "I'm sure Alice will let us know when she's going to wake."

He covered her with a blanket and dimmed the lights. The two of them silently left the room and went down the stairs. The rest of the Cullens were eagerly waiting for them in the living room.

"Well?" Esme asked expectantly. "How is she?"

She went to stand by her husband, putting her arm around him. Edward sought out Bella and absently ran a hand down her hair, deep in thought.

"Alive, and I'm sure she'll pull through. Santiago missed her artery by a hair's breadth. Speaking of whom...?" Carlisle looked to Jasper.

Jasper shook his head. "I nearly had him. I probably would have but they had a designated meeting place. Alec was there, along with Demitri and four other guard that I've never seen before. I was forced to let him go." Jasper growled deep in his chest. "I can_not_ stand them laughing like that, as if there is nothing that we could do about it. They blatantly ignore territory lines with the intent to kill and -"

"Shh,"Alice soothed. She snuggled into him, tucking her thumb into his waistband and rubbing his chest with her other hand. "I know, pet. You did what you could. They never fight fair. If they did, we would have clobbered them years ago."

Jasper's growl slowly disappeared. Emmett was still fuming, too.

"They'll get what's coming to them. Aro's lucky he's got Jane. I've never wanted to hit a child before, or so badly. If I ever get my hands on that little brat, she'll get more than the spanking she deserves!"

Rosalie rubbed his back but didn't say anything otherwise. She liked seeing him worked up. It usually ended in her favor.

"What happened to the one I got?" He asked.

"He won't be a problem any more," Rosalie replied, producing a lighter from her back pocket and flicking it to life before replacing it.

"Did our friend upstairs say anything?" Esme asked.

"No, she's unconscious. All that I know is that she's a half vampire. I suppose that's some answer as to why they were after her. Aro was extremely interested in Renesmee. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he's taken her from another coven."

"Santiago said something to her before he tried to kill her," Emmett said. "He called her ' poca sperimentare'. I didn't like the way he sounded when he said that. It sounded like a threat. What does it mean?"

"Little experiment," Carlisle and Esme said together.

The entire family fell silent. That was threatening indeed. They were each lost in their own thoughts of what Santiago might have been alluding to. Edward silently considered each of their opinions. He was the first to breech the intense quiet.

"Aro was awfully curious about Renesmee," he said. "Perhaps he's been seeking out others. I agree, it would not be stretch for him to kidnap one from their family – or worse. I imagine he would have quite a few experiments he'd like to put them through."

"Aro might be a lot of things, but I can't see him harming children," Esme mused. She looked at Carlisle, as if hoping that he'd agree.

"No. He would not do it himself, in any case. Caius might and both of them would have no problem asking such a thing of Jane. I shudder to think what those two could come up with."

Esme shook her head sadly. "Do we even know her name?"

"Maria," Renesmee answered quietly.

The all turned to look at her. They'd nearly forgotten that she was present.

"Well, that's not _really_ her name. They called all the girls Maria. She said she saw the name Simona in a magazine once and she thought it was pretty. She secretly called herself that."

Carlisle smiled, then laughed. "How do you know this?"

"She dropped this when Uncle Em was carrying her," she grinned back. She held up a pocket-size notebook that easily fit in her small hands. "I think she wanted us to have it in case something happened to her."

"Why didn't you say anything, Ness?" Bella went to sit by her daughter and gently stroked her hair. "I'm not trying to scold you sweetie, only this is pretty important, you know?"

Renesmee nodded. "I know, momma. It's just that everyone has something to do except me. I wanted to know something first. I was going to say something before but everyone was so busy and worried. I didn't want to bother you."

"You're never a bother to us, my darling," Carlisle told her. He sat on the other side of her and pulled her onto his lap. "I'm sorry if I haven't made you feel useful. Truth be told, you're worth more to us than anything in this world. We want you to be safe." He sighed then. "However, I realize that you're not so little any more. I suppose if your parents agree, we can have Uncle Jasper start teaching you to fight. As long as _you_ realize that it doesn't matter how big you get; you're always going to be our baby."

He tickled her stomach and Renesmee laughed, kicking her feet. Edward and Bella were giving each other looks that said it would be a cold day in hell before their daughter was allowed to fight the way her uncles did.

"Can I see that?" Carlisle asked, indicating the notebook Renesmee was still holding. He began flipping through it, skimming the pages. It was nearly full. "Well, I suppose you should all take a seat. It seems we have a bit of reading to do."

He went back to page one and started reading.

**((Thanks for checking this out! Please let me know how you like it so far :) ))**


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